Congregation B’nai Israel needs our community’s continued support. Please prioritize CBI in your year-end giving, so it will continue to grow and prosper. Recently we have added a fantastic concert series, more adult education, a book club and, soon, Adult Beginning Hebrew. Please help us continue to improve!This quote from Albert Einstein sums up the need for community:“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us, ‘Universe’, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts, and feelings as someone separate from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. The striving to free oneself from this delusion is the one issue of true religion. Not to nourish it, but to try to overcome it is the way to reach the attainable measure of peace of mind.”We appreciate your donation to any of the following funds: YVisiting Leaders and EventsYSecurityYA New Roof over the Office AreaSimply go online to www.bnaisrael.com and click the blue DONATE button. Select one of the funds listed above and enter it in the special instructions/comments box.If you prefer, mail your check to:Congregation B’nai IsraelP.O. Box 3066Vallejo, CA 94590Help Our Community Flourish! Attain Peace of Mind!Janet B. LeventhalB’nai Israel President

Here I am, again!I’m happy to be one of your Co-Presidents along with Marc North-Horowitz. Since I’ve retired from being a Staff Anesthesiologist at Kaiser, I seem to be busier than ever!I guess one could call it my “second act.”

After our D’or v’ D’or celebration last month one of our newer members, Anne Levy Howson, commented that CBI feels like an extended family.I agree.My actual extended family is on the East Coast, so I come to CBI. I’m glad you come, too!

We have some new board members with new energy and new ideas.We plan to expand our activities.Our new school principal is re-organizing our religious school. We are starting a new group for planning our Programs and Events. What new programs would you like to see at CBI? Would you like more adult education, or perhaps a book club? A lecture series, perhaps on current events? Maybe an adult Hebrew class?How about a Jewish music performance group?Please join the conversation. Talk to me, Marc or another board member and let’s get it organized.

At the B’nai Israel Congregational Meeting, February, 2011, I was elected President of our Synagogue. It has been an enjoyable and fulfilling six years. Now it is time for me to take a break, a Sabbath year. Thank you for this great honor. These past six years have been a wonderful, spiritually uplifting experience for me. I have received so much more from our Congregation than I have given. Thank you to all of the Officers and Board members who have worked with me. Thank you to all the Committee Chairs that have done such a great job and thank you to all of our members who have been a source of inspiration. A big thank you to Rabbi White who has always been there for me. At the February, 2017 meeting new Officers and Directors were elected. We will have members joining the Board for the first time; Linda Chene, Myra Binstock, Aviyah Johnson, Dorrin Rosenfeld. Thank you so much for volunteering to join the leadership of B’nai Israel. Marc North-Horowitz and Dr. Janet Leventhal will be the new Co-Presidents, Dan Feinberg will continue as First Vice President, Dr. Doug Cort Second Vice President, Anne Levy Howson Financial Secretary, Lou Hirsh Treasurer, Alisa Danyeur Recording Secretary, Roy Barush Director, Dr. Bob Linville Director and Joyce Georgette will re-join the Board as Parliamentarian. Thank you all very much. I am comforted that I leave the Board in good hands and see a great future for B’nai Israel. Thank you to the members now leaving the Board; Martin Gewing, Don Bond, Helene Falk, Gail Lamkins and Youth Liaison Jacob Sousa. I made a list of our accomplishments during the past six years. I was going to include the list here, but it looked too much like bragging, so I threw it away. This is the influence of Rabbi White, who teaches us to be humble. However, since I am not Rabbi White, I will brag a little. I will reduce the list to one item, my greatest accomplishment. During six years as President I have not missed a monthly Board meeting. It is said ninety percent of success is showing up, so at least I did that. I showed up. The new Officers and Directors will begin their term April 1. We will hold the Induction Ceremony at the Shabbat Seder Friday, March 10. Please attend and thank them for their service to our Synagogue. Back to the beginning. Following is the first President’s Message I wrote for the April, 2011 bulletin. The message is relevant today, so I include it here.​April 20114/1/2011

Thank you for electing me President. It is a great honor, privilege and responsibility. I have been given a priceless gem and asked to care for it awhile, then pass it on. Congregation B'nai Israel is unique. We have a Rabbi that is second to none. Rabbi David White'sspiritual leadership is a blessing. I am surrounded by a talented and brilliant Board of Directors and Officers. Priceless. I look forward to what we will be able to accomplish for our community in the upcoming year. As President, my slogan is "help me". I am asking every member to help me lead this community.Past generations have brought B'nai Israel to this point and now it is up to us to maintain and build B'nai Israel for the future generations. Each of us has unique talents and abilities. I am asking each of you to use your talent to the best of your ability to help make B'nai Israel great. When the tribe of Israel, in the wilderness, built the first Tabernacle, each person was assigned a task suitable to their abilities. No one was asked to do more than they were able. This is what I am asking of the members of this community. We are in this together and we are all volunteers. Myself, I have volunteered my efforts to Congregation B'nai Israel as my way to "thank"God for the blessings in my life. In my view, our congregation as four functions; 1. A religious institution 2. An educational institution 3. A social club 4. A business I ask each of you to assess your talents and interests and volunteer to assist in one of these areas.I will assign you to the appropriate committee. It will be a MITZVAH. Thank you, Fred Zola

“For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops,but on the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow”

Having been President of Congregation B’nai Israel for six years, it is time to take a year of rest. A Sabbath year.

The Torah is relevant in all times and all places. As I study the Torah, I try to live according to the wisdom therein. “Work the field for six years and let it lie fallow the seventh year.” This is good agricultural advice. When I saw this verse, I knew it would be good advice for me. A Sabbath year will give me the chance to “lie fallow”. A time to refresh, so I can do better work in the future. This will be good for Congregation B’nai Israel. Time for fresh ideas and fresh eyes. Those who step into the leadership can bring a new perspective to B’nai Israel. My years as President have been rewarding and fulfilling. The members of this Congregation have brought me much joy. Thank you. Working side by side with Rabbi White has been an honor and a blessing. A great man who has taught me so much about how to live a humble life as did our greatest leader, Moses. Rabbi White is a blessing to us all. Thank you to the Officers, Directors and Committee Chairs who have helped me through countless situations and have done so much for our Congregation. Thank you to all of our members for your support and encouragement. I ask all of you to step up and continue the good work we do here at B’nai Israel serving the Jewish Community of Solano County. In 2019 we will celebrate the 100 year anniversary of Congregation B’nai Israel. We owe a debt to our ancestors who gave us this beautiful Synagogue. We repay that debt by passing it on to the next generation.

The recent Congregation B’nai Israel Yom Kippur Service was a meaningful and spiritual time. Thank you Rabbi White. Your dedication to Judaism uplifts us all.

We can now look forward to a sweet new year, 5777. I want to thank all of you that keep our Synagogue operating. Thank you to the Officers and Directors. Thank you to the Committee Chairs. Thank you to the Committee volunteers. Thank you to the Religious School faculty. Thank you to all our members. And a big thank you to my dear wife, Nieves.

In the Book of Exodus, God tells Moses to instruct the Tribe of Israel, “Let them make a Sanctuary that I may dwell among them.” The Torah is alive and is speaking to us today. We have built a Sanctuary here in Vallejo so God may dwell among us. May we Jews build a world in which God would want to dwell.

This is my 6th year as President of Congregation B’nai Israel. Thank you for this honor. Allow me to look to the past for a moment and then to the future. At my first Yom Kippur Appeal, I yelled at you from the Bima. I said, “Don’t make me the President that has to close this Synagogue.” Financially, we had been operating in survival mode. With Synagogues around the nation closing, I feared that might be our fate. At my second Yom Kipper Appeal, I yelled at you again. I shouted “HELP”. Help keep the B’nai Israel doors open and the lights on. We were still in survival mode. Today I want to yell at you and say, “THANK YOU.” Rather than trying to survive, we can look to the future. With your support, we have been able to invest in the future of our Synagogue. At Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur we worshipped using new prayer books. Recently we have refurbished the Religious School classrooms. We have redecorated the courtyard. There is a new floor in the kitchen and new toilets in the bathrooms. There is a new audio/visual system in the Social Hall, new security cameras around the property and we are currently refurbishing the Rabbi’s office. The leaks in the roof have been repaired. The Sukkah has been enlarged and upgraded. This year we will have a new security fence around the property. All this and more is due to the generosity of our members - THANK YOU.

Now we need to continue our mission to serve the Jewish Community of Solano County. I am asking you to please be generous with your High Holiday donations. I am asking for your help in two ways, 1)Financial 2) Volunteer. Please make as generous donation as you can, so we can balance our budget. This year, when a member gives a donation of $500 or more, B’nai Israel will honor you with a leaf on our beautiful Tree of Life. Let’s fill the Tree of Life with new leaves. Beyond the financial, I am asking for volunteers. On page 2 of our directory is a list of committees. I want every member of B’nai Israel to serve on at least one committee. Please contact me or any Board member and volunteer. Also, let us know if you are interested in serving on the Board of Directors. We all need to work together to keep B’nai Israel alive and well. 2019 will be the 100th anniversary of our congregation. I ask for your ideas and input on how we should celebrate this milestone.

As I said from the Bima on Yom Kippur, “I ask forgiveness for any hurt I have caused this past year. Forgive my errors. Those of you I have angered, disappointed or ignored, I ask your forgiveness.”

My wife, Nieves, and I wish you a sweet year filled with kindness, good health, laughter and joy. May you and your families be inscribed in the Book of Life.

This is the address of the Congregation B'nai Israel website. On the site we have a Memorial Page where we remember those among our community that have passed. On the front page you will see "History". Click on that and the drop down menu will show "Memorial Page". Click on that and you will see articles remembering three of our recently passed beloved members, Fahny Pierce, Alan Goodban and Philip Edelman. We need to make better use of this memorial page. Many more of our departed members should be memorialized on this page. So, I am asking each of you to think of loved ones that should be added to this memorial archive. Write an article or copy their obituary so that we can add it to this memorial page. Include a photo if you have one. The sages say that a Jew dies twice; once when they die and a second time when they are forgotten. Let us not forget our loved ones. We can all think of members that should be remembered on the B'nai Israel Memorial Page. Please, take a moment to write a remembrance and submit it to our website. This way the loved one will be remembered by all who visit our website. Send your memorial to our webmaster, Katya and Ignat.

Recently I was having lunch with a non Jewish business colleague. I asked him if he was a religious person. He gave me a speech about how he was a "Spiritual" person. Always trying to do the right thing, knowing the difference between right and wrong, etc. When he finished, I said, "That sounds like you do not attend Church. His response, “No, I would not join any organized religion because all they do is ask for money".

This sums up the situation we, as an organized religion, are in. We are always asking for money and people do not like that. I do not like that either. What to do? I would like to stop asking for money. Then people like the man who I was talking with would not have such a problem with religion.This, it seems to me, is a marketing problem. Would the same man say, "I will not go to the grocery store, all they want is money". People have no problem paying for goods and services everyday, but have a hard time paying to be a member of a religious group. There is a lack of perceived value of the service we offer or maybe folks think God will provide.

In times of crisis, life and death, sickness and pain, people call the Shul. They need a Rabbi, they need a spiritual connection. When we get these calls, the Rabbi does not check to see if this person has paid dues or is even a member. He responds on a 24 hour 7 days per week basis. We are like a spiritual 911 call. When a Jew needs to worship, we are open for services ever Sabbath, Friday and Saturday. We offer education for our children and adults. We are a social community for those who want to be part of our family. Yet, when the bill arrives, it goes to the bottom of the pile and is paid only if there is money left after all else is paid. I have done this myself, so I understand.

The question is, how do we communicate the value of what we provide? I am asking for your help, because I do not have an answer. When I volunteered to be President of B'nai Israel, (thank you so much for this great honor), I did it as my way to serve God and thank God for the blessings in my life. I have found that this job entails too much bill collecting, fundraising and listening to people tell me why they cannot or will not pay to be a member. I have no solution and I am asking you to help me. How do we communicate the value of the services we offer? I return to the statement above, “No, I would never join any organized religion because all they do is ask for money"

This month our dues statements for the upcoming year will be mailed to you. To those of you that can afford it, please pay extra so we can subsidize our members that cannot afford the dues. Thank you.

"And they will make for me a Temple and I will dwell among them." Great things are achieved when everyone does their part and works toward a common goal.

We recently finished reading the second book of the Torah, Exodus. The book begins with the tribe of Israel brought out of Egypt and ends with the building of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle in the wilderness. God gave to Moses detailed instructions on the building of the Mishkan. Moses gathered the tribe and said to them, "These are the things God has commanded us to do”. Exodus 35:1-2.The details describe the structure, furnishings and clothing for the Priests. Each person had a precise job to perform and each had to do the job to his/her maximum potential. When everyone worked together, they built a structure of unparalleled holiness.

The Torah is alive today and what was true thousands of years ago is true today. A lesson for us in the final chapters of Exodus is that we need to apply ourselves to the building and maintaining of our Synagogue and our Community, Congregation B'nai Israel, in the same way the Tribe of Israel built the Mishkan in the wilderness.

Each of us has unique talents and abilities. We need to apply these to our building and community. Let us build a place where "God can dwell among us".

I ask each of you to think about a talent God has given you and think: “How can I apply my talent and ability to improve Congregation B'nai Israel?” The blessing is that you will have the satisfaction of doing a mitzvah for our Community and our Community will be improved.

Monday, June 6, 7:00 pm is our annual Congregational Meeting where the budget for the upcoming fiscal year is presented to the membership.Please attend and work with the Board of Directors to plan the upcoming year.

Sunday, May 15, 5:00 - 8:00pm Congregation B’nai Israel will be holding our annual Auction fund raiser. Dinner will be served.We need your support, please.This is our most important fundraiser of the year and we need it to be successful in order to balance our budget.

The Board of Directors has a policy of keeping dues low. We cannot operate our Synagogue with our dues income, therefore we need fundraisers.A survey of Bay Area Synagogues shows that our dues are less than half the cost of belonging to any other Synagogue in the area.So I am asking all of our members and friends to please contribute to the auction May 15.

This is what I do; I do not need anything, so at the auction I bid on everything and the items I win, I re-donate next year. I tell my wife and daughter to buy whatever they want. To me this is one way to help B’nai Israel balance the budget.

If you cannot attend, just send a check to support the auction. Think of it as a way to pay the dues we should be charging.

B’nai Israel is a Spiritual, Social and Educational community. We want to afford to continue to provide a full program of services. We cannot do that without your support. Please.

The refurbishing of the Congregation B’nai Israel classrooms has been a great success. New floors, wall coverings, window treatments and furnishings. I am told the students are happy and the teachers are happy - so I am happy. Many thanks from all of us to the volunteers who designed, decorated and re-built these rooms. Also, thank you to our generous members who donated the funds that paid for this project.

Now we should take a look at refurbishing the courtyard. This is a space we constantly use and it needs a face-lift. We can make the courtyard more beautiful and more functional. To move this project forward, I am creating the Beautification Committee. This committee will be tasked with developing a proposal for a new and improved courtyard. Please contact me if you would like to be appointed to this committee. Take a look at the courtyard and see if you can come up with ideas to improve it. Also, we are now accepting donations to pay for this project. Please contact me and let’s build a beautiful courtyard.

Installation of Officers And Directors

Our monthly Shabbat Seder will be held Friday, March 11. At this seder we will have the installation of the newly elected Officers and Directors of Congregation B’nai Israel. Please attend and take a moment to thank the Board members for all they do to keep our Synagogue alive and well so we can continue our mission of serving the Jewish Community of Solano County. RSVP to our administrator Sue. I look forward to seeing you there.